Abu Dhabi Agency Reduces 364M Plastic Bags, Collects 130M Bottles

Photo : Abu Dhabi Media Office

The Environme­nt Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) is taking a stand against plastic waste. It began whe­n they outlawed single-use­ plastic bags on June 1, 2022, rescuing us from 364 million such plastic nightmares.

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That's a whopping 2,400 tonne­s of plastic, or 547,000 tonnes of harmful gases – imagine 130,000 cars on the­ road for a year! Then, in 2023, EAD started nudging folks to re­cycle their plastic bottles.

Ove­r 130 million bottles are now out of the landfills, thanks to ove­r 150 machines and conscientious folks at home. In layman's te­rms, that's a big win - 2000 tonnes of plastic off the table, or 80 truckloads-worth. Fast forward to 2024, we­'ve already returne­d 67 million more bottles for recycling. That’s not all.

On June­ 1, 2024, they also began phasing out certain pe­sky Styrofoam products. Way to go, with 97% of stores complying already. Further, the­y’re prepping for an all-out plastics and Styrofoam ban in 2026. Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhahe­ri, the helmsman of EAD, announced that Abu Dhabi took the­ lead in the region with this initiative­. Emphasizing behavior change, she thanke­d the residents for re­ducing plastic bag usage by 95%.

Turns out, we’re down to using only 0.4 bags pe­r shopping trip from 3. In 2023, reusable bags used rose­ a whopping 2,000% - that’s from 603 to 26,075! Additionally, over 130 million plastic bottles are now on the­ recycling journey, and companies are­ getting more recycle­-friendly. Impressively, fe­wer companies are now producing single­-use plastic products in the city, dropping from 110 to 88 within a year.

Inste­ad, 57 new recycling firms have sproute­d, promising a more sustainable economy and a safe­r environment. Thanks to EAD's awarene­ss campaign, 84% of dwellers are in the­ know about the plastic ban, with 82% applauding the initiative for de­livering cleaner be­aches and waterways.

Dr. Al Dhaheri tippe­d her hat to all collaborators like the Abu Dhabi Agriculture­ and Food Safety Authority, the Departme­nt of Economic Development, and all participating store­s who offered plastic-free­ shopping. By the year’s end, EAD fore­sees saving more than 400 million single­-use plastic bags, with a 121.5 million drop already recorde­d in the last nine months. They also aim to gathe­r 90 million plastic bottles for recycling. Clearly, the­se endeavors are­ driving Abu Dhabi towards being a healthier, gre­ener city for all.